The Latest: 'Pizzagate' gunman in DC sentenced to 4 years

WASHINGTON — The Latest on a North Carolina man who fired shots inside a District of Columbia restaurant while he was investigating a conspiracy theory known as “pizzagate.” (all times local):

1 p.m.

A North Carolina man who fired an assault rifle inside a District of Columbia restaurant during his investigation of a conspiracy theory dubbed “pizzagate” has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Edgar Maddison Welch was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Washington. His attorney had asked that he be sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison. Prosecutors asked for 4 1/2 years.

Welch pleaded guilty in March and acknowledged that he entered the Comet Ping Pong restaurant Dec. 4 with an AR-15 assault weapon and a revolver. He said he drove to the restaurant from North Carolina to investigate an unfounded conspiracy theory about Democrats harbouring child sex slaves at the pizza restaurant.

No one was physically injured, but the judge says Welch’s actions “literally left psychological wreckage.”

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3:35 a.m.

A man who walked into a District of Columbia pizza restaurant with an assault rifle to investigate internet rumours dubbed “pizzagate” is scheduled to be sentenced.

Edgar Maddison Welch is set to be sentenced Thursday at a hearing in federal court in Washington. In a court document filed ahead of the hearing, his attorney asked that he be sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison. Prosecutors have asked for a sentence of 4 1/2 years.

Welch acknowledged as part of a guilty plea in March that he entered the Comet Ping Pong restaurant Dec. 4 with an AR-15 assault weapon and a revolver. He also acknowledged driving to the restaurant from North Carolina to investigate a conspiracy theory about Democrats harbouring child sex slaves there.